Once Isn’t Always Enough—When to Rely on Follow-Up Direct Mail Pieces

What a shame to put so much effort into your marketing campaign, only to stop short of closing the deal.

Smart marketing begins with tireless research and a hearty dose of data. With data to back you up, your business can find the right audience for your marketing campaign. Data tell you what prospects need, want and even how much they’re willing to pay for it. But data is just the first step.

Former customers may only need one invitation to rejoin your business’s party. But prospects could use a little extra prodding to step out of their comfort zone and into your office. Here’s our insight on when you need follow-up direct mail pieces to continue the conversation.

Hey, Neighbor
You may be able to squeak by with a single direct mail piece when the goal is introducing your well-established company to potential customers. Prospects can grill friends and neighbors about your company’s value and trustworthiness.

But if your company is new to the area, your direct mail campaign will need several pieces to fulfill multiple functions. One can familiarize recipients with your business. One can offer a discount for your services. And another can remind them of who you are and when your offer expires. Think about all of your direct mail goals when planning your campaign.

Messaging: Sammies v. Life Insurance
When the product or service you’re offering is something simple—like a sandwich—prospective diners might not need multiple reminders to hit up your sub shop. Your product is an impulse buy.

Create a multi-wave direct mail campaign if you’re a business whose services require an important decision—such as an insurance company. You can position successive direct mail pieces as reminders when recipients are non-respondents. Doing so offers ample opportunity to communicate an intricate message.

Money, Money, Money
Life insurance and sub sandwiches pose different challenges for direct mail: one to nudge prospects toward an impulse buy, another to influence a calculated decision. But the cost of your product should also influence your decision on the number of pieces in your direct mail campaign.

The more money you’re asking prospects to spend, the more you’ll need to spend on a multi-piece direct mail campaign. Selling cars is no freer than buying them.

Direct mail works best for most marketing campaigns. And data-driven pieces will spark more business for you than blind direct mail. But don’t stop at one direct mail piece. To unlock the staggering selling potential of direct mail, rely a multi-piece campaign.